It was that time of the year again, where everypony decides to go on for the night, either hunting candies or pranking others. Yep, its Nightmare Night, and I'm very excited for tonight's festivities. Because this is our first Nightmare Night on Ponyville, we expect a little more traditional games at the town center than stalls that capitalize on prizes and the likes.
"Twilight, you ready?" I shout out upstairs. Something shuffles upstairs, and Twilight soon responded.
"Almost!"
"Would you bet Twilight getting a new costume than Starswirl?" Spike asked, walking up beside me. He wore a four-legged dragon costume, and he looked adorable!
I chuckled as I pat his head, "Come on, Spike, you know better than that. Of course, she wouldn't."
Speaking of the devil, Twilight came downstairs with, as expected, Starswirl the Bearded costume. Seriously, she never once change it, not since she bought it three years ago. Three years ago! I always dynamically changed it based on my mood on said year. Right now, I'm dressing up as one of the leading mages during the pre-unity era, Majesty.
My costume design undergoes a little effort in creating it. Fun fact, I looked almost exactly like Rarity. I did contemplate whether or not getting mixed up with Rarity would be worth it, so I threw up an illusion spells on my eyes and coat, then styled my mane similar to hers. To top it off, I put a cape on my back and a fake fang. Now I exactly looked like Rarity dressing up as a Vampony.
Twilight frowned at my choice of costume, "Seriously, Twivine, couldn't you find a better option?"
"Just wait, Twily, it'll be an amazing costume I've ever put on," I replied with a smirk on my face.
Spike rolled his eyes when the doorbell suddenly rang out. "I'll get it," he says, walking over to the door.
"Nightmare Night, Nightmare Night, give us something sweet to bite!" Came a chorus of foals handing out their bags as Spike opened the door.
He noticed Granny Smith accompanying the group. "Hello everypony, happy Nightmare Night, you too, Granny Smith," Spike greeted.
"I should've been asleep five hours ago," came the reply from the ancient mare.
As Spike handing out the treats, the two of us decided to show ourselves and welcomed the group.
Twilight was the first one to welcome the group, "Hello everypony, I hope you all have a fun night!"
Pinkie, dressing up as a chicken, appeared out of nowhere and squawked at her face, resulting in Twilight's yelp. "Hey, Twilight, happy Nightmare Night," Pinkie said happily.
Twilight sighed, rubbing her chest from the abrupt entrance of Pinkie, but she smiled nonetheless to the enigmatic party pony. "Hello, Pinkie," she frowned. "Aren't you a little bit too old on trick and treating?"
Pinkie's only response was a gasp, "And missed out on a lot of free candy?! NEVER!"
I smiled, walking past Twilight to show myself to the crowd, "Of course, darling, since when have you not gorge yourself in sweets?"
My Rarity's impression needed some work, and I might need Trixie's help on perfecting it. She knew a lot of things about illusion better than any other unicorn I know, but still, I was surprised that it did its work well enough to fool them.
Pinkie waved at me, oblivious to my scheme. "Oh, hi Rares, I thought you were still on the boutique finishing your costume."
"As it turns out, I cannot finish it in time for this evening, so this costume should suffice for tonight," I said calmly. I was so ready to burst out laughing out loud in the middle of the act, but I kept myself together long enough.
Pinkie let out a thoughtful hum but stopped after the foals called out to her on continuing their quest for candy. She squawked happily, chasing after them.
After she left, I burst out laughing. "Ahaha, I can't believe that worked!"
Twilight stared at me with a dumbfounded expression, Spike meanwhile, was somewhat impressed. "How in the world did you manage that?!" Twilight asked in utter disbelief.
I shrugged nonchalantly, "Canterlot taught me a lot of things regarding actings and behaviors."
Twilight can only stare blankly, trying to process what I say as we closed the Library for the night and head over to the town hall. As I expected, many thought I was Rarity dressing up as a Vampony. I didn't expect my acting to be so believable. I expect Trixie to be able to see through my disguise, but even she fell for it!
I can't believe how much fun I'm having for this very night.
"I can't believe you're getting away with all that," Twilight said with a sigh. My response? Giggling like a maniac.
I yelped as I felt lightning struck the ground just behind me, whirling around, I saw Rainbow Dash laughing on a storm cloud above us. She wore a Wonderbolt uniform, but I think that was their darker counterpart, the Shadowbolt. I growled but caught myself when I'm about to get back on her with a small whip from my vines as an idea presented itself to me. Oh, this would be good.
"Rainbow Dash," I shout out with my best Rarity impression. "You uncultured good for nothing flier, you would've ruined my cape and my mane!"
Rainbow chuckled, waving off her hoof, "Oh relax, Rarity, it's just a prank."
"A prank that would lead me combing my mane and straightening my cape for hours!" I replied with a growl. Inside, I was dying of laughter.
"Pfft, what is so bad with combing your mane anyway?" Rainbow said nonchalantly. Yeah, I think she hasn't had a bad-mane-day once in her life.
I huffed, "Certainly, a mare without style like yours wouldn't understand."
"Hey, I have you know that I have lots of style for my awesomeness," she replied with a smug grin, blowing her rainbow-colored mane out of her face.
I smirked, "Oh, very well then. Next morning, come to my boutique with the best mane-style you have, and we shall see which mane-style is the most awesome."
Twilight looked at me in bewilderment, and then glance over to Rainbow, hoping for her to see through my slip up in the end. It is unlike Rarity to use the word 'awesome' but, then again, that is Rainbow's trigger word.
"Hah, is that a challenge?" She inquired.
"Why yes, indeed it was. Are you a chicken, Rainbow Dash?" I asked with a smug grin. She won't know what hit her.
Rainbow huffed, puffing out her cheeks, "You kidding me? I'll show you who has the best awesome hair around. Just watch me, Rares." With that, Rainbow flies away with her storm cloud, off to prank another unsuspecting victim.
I can only grin as she flew away, "Oh, I am so seeing myself getting pranked hard somewhere in the future."
Twilight let out a deep sigh, "I still wonder whether or not Princess Celestia personally train you in the art of pranks, Twivy."
"That's still in the realm of possibility," Spike added.
"Hey, we won the first prank war on our own!"
"That is because the Princess yielded to our best weapon," Twilight shot back with a frown.
We stopped at Applejack's stand, as we approached, she waved her hoof at us. "Why hello there, Twi, Rares."
"Hey, Applejack, happy Nightmare Night," We both chanted at the same time.
She smiled, "Well, ain't that a nice costume, a country singer of sort, Twi? Where's yer sister anyway, haven't seen her in a while."
Spike looked at Twilight, suppressing a peal of laughter as she grunts, annoyed that her costume was misidentified. When she was about to blow my disguise, I put my acting skill to the test again.
"I think she is some kind of court mages, but a scarecrow, darling?" I asked with Rarity's posh accent. I haven't yet dropped my acting, and I have yet to see who could break and call out my acts.
"Its the only thing Ah can come up with a short amount of time," she says with a shrug.
I nodded sagely, "Understandable, but still, you need to explore your creative mind a little bit more darling."
She waved a hoof, "When Ah got time, sure."
"Fillies and gentlecolts!" the Mayor called out from the stage wearing a clown outfit, colorful wigs, and even the red nose. "I welcome you all to Ponyville annual celebration of Nightmare Night, if you're careful, then perhaps Nightmare Moon aren't so keen to gobble you up!" Then she laughs.
Spike walked up to the both of us and whispered, "You know that is the worst costume to put on if you're trying to be creepy."
The two of us giggled to each other as the Mayor introduced Zecora. I wondered if she can see through my disguise because no one hasn't yet called me out, which is surprising. Where is Rarity anyway? I haven't seen her anywhere.
With Zecora's off with Pinkie's group to Diety's above knows where. The three of us decided to hang around the center, just watching ponies playing on the variety of games Ponyville has to offer. Spike and I got a try on a few of them, and it was quite enjoyable, not intensely enjoyable like our time on Manehattan with Cadence a few years ago. Too bad Twilight passed on the games.
Suddenly, I felt the wind shifted in direction. I felt a cold shudder down to my spine as I look up to see the fogs blurred the moon, and three shapes appeared, zipping past through. I look on around, seeing that nopony even noticed the sudden change of temperature, maybe it was just me.
"Hey, Rarity!" a cheerful voice caught me off guard as I let out a startled yelp. Turning around, I saw Bon Bon in Werepony costume and Lyra in Vampony costume, kind of fitting for a 'suspected' couple.
"Oh, it was just you two," I sighed, accidentally breaking character. Bon Bon eyed me for a moment, and so does Lyra, it took them a second to catch on, and I'm afraid my streaks of good fortune ends here.
"Waaaiiit a minute, you're not Rarity, you're Twivine!" Lyra shouts, pointing her hoof in accusing manner. I swiftly clamp her mouth shut, hoping to salvage the situation.
"Shh, shut up Lyra, you're breaking the best prank ever pulled in Ponyville," I whispered to her, she nods her head in response.
"I would think the prank would be over if the other pony realizes the other," Bon Bon said, looking around for Rarity, I assume.
I winked at Bon Bon, "That's the thing. if the other pony didn't realize..." Pulling off from Lyra, I gestured for them to stay quiet, and they answered with a nod. Satisfied that my 'prank' hasn't yet foiled, I returned to my sister side just in time for a chariot landing at the center of town. Based solely on the chariot design and the appearance of the one pulling it, you can guess who had just arrived.
"FAIR PEASANTRY OF PONYVILLE, WE, PRINCESS LUNA, HAVE GRACED YOUR LITTLE TOWN WITH OUR PRESENCE!" Of course, its Princess Luna, sheesh, who would've thought? No one did, but goddamnit, I should've seen this coming.
All the ponies presence cowered in fear, or was it because of her sheer volume? I can't tell for sure. The only pony standing was both my sister and I, while Twilight smiled at her, I dropped to my knee.
"Princess Luna, it is an honor to grace your presence to this humble little town," I've certainly didn't mean to act all suck up, but hell, somepony got too. Besides, I had to stay in character.
To say Princess Luna was mildly surprised -and so does my sister- it was putting it lightly, but she was flattered nonetheless. "WE THANK THEE, FAIR TWIVINE SPARKLE OF CANTERLOT, FOR THINE WELCOME." I'm happy that somepony finally saw through my disguise, but do you have to declare it in public so loudly? There goes the prank, I guess.
"Uhh, I wish to welcome you too, Princess Luna," Twilight said with her characteristic nervous grin. "Welcome to Ponyville, Princess." She added with a dip of her head.
Princess Luna's response? As you expect, another Royal Canterlot Voice. "WE THANK THEE AS WELL, FAIR TWILIGHT SPARKLE OF CANTERLOT."
It seems our exchange didn't do much for the cowering townfolks, and even the foals seem scared of Princess Luna in general. I stand up and canter over to her, "Princess Luna, no offense given, but, you must restrain yourself on using the Royal Canterlot Voice."
Princess Luna frowned and whispered, and when I said whispered, I meant she talked like a natural pony would. "But is this not how you converse with the townsfolk?"
I shook my head, "Not in this time of age, Princess."
"Well, that doth put a hamper on my plan," Princess Luna then levitated a scroll from the saddlebags she carried. Twilight and I looked at each other, unsure of what the Princess of the Night has in her plan. She scrunched her muzzle, muttering, "Oh well, improvise it is."
"Umm, Princess?" Before Twilight could ask, the Lunar Princess once again declared her intention. Thankfully, less loud than before, but it still was a shout.
"Citizens of Ponyville, I Princess Luna, has arrived to join you for tonight's celebration of Nightmare Night!" She smiled, and her confident, energetic tone seems enough to soothe the masses, albeit reluctantly. Some remained fearful of her, but some, the smile Princess Luna give was enough to garner their attention.
Then a loud gasp with an exclamation from Pinkie, "Its Nightmare Moon! RUN!"
"Wait, I am not-" It was too late, the foals on her group shrieks and went on to a random direction with Pinkie lunging into barrel-filled water to hide. Of course, thanks to them, the whole crowd went into an uproar again as screams of terror filled the night.
"SILENCE!"
All at once, every sound or ponies stopped to look at the Princess fearfully. I opened my mouth to say something, but no matter what, no voices were coming out of my mouth. I felt a slight magical distortion in the air, looking at Twilight for answer. She too tried to speak, but she realized that she couldn't hear her voice as well.
"What the heck is going on?" I mouthed to Twilight.
"I don't know. It seems whatever magic permeating in the air blocked every sound," was her reply.
"Wow, this is cool! I don't know Princess Luna could do this sort of power, do you think Princess Celestia can do this as well?" Spike joined in the silent conversation.
"But this doesn't make any sense, this kind of magic is unheard of!" Twilight exclaimed soundlessly.
I looked around, everypony seems to realize they couldn't produce any sound whatsoever, even Pinkie tried squawking desperately.
"Now that I have your attention," Princess Luna's working voice cord attracted the crowd like moths to a light, everypony stared at her, waiting with bated breath. "I assure all of you that I am NOT Nightmare Moon, no longer I am that insane Alicorn who wishes Eternal Night."
The Princess stepped forward. Many recoiled from her advance and immediately cowered before her cold, thousand-yard gaze. She sighed sadly as her expression softened, "I only wish that all of you would not judge what I am previously, but it seems I was mistaken."
She closed her eyes, then with the same volume as before, shouted the word, "REVERSIO!"
A happy squawk from Pinkie was enough of an indicator that whatever spell it was, had been lifted.
"I wish you all happy Nightmare Night, as it shall be the last time." Everypony present looked at each other in confusion from Princess Luna's declaration. Twilight cantered over to her as she started to walk away. Spike and I follow suit.
"Princess Luna, wait!" she manages to place herself in front of the Princess. "What's going on, what do you mean Nightmare Night would be the last?"
"Well, twas simple affairs, I would ask my sister to abolish this holiday forever." Princess Luna plainly said, but even then, I could feel the sadness in her voice.
Twilight could only gape at her reply, "But why?"
The Princess of the Night huffed, "Can you not see their reaction, fairest Twilight Sparkle? They feared me just as it was a thousand years ago."
"But, that doesn't mean you can just cancel Nightmare Night altogether!" Spike exclaimed.
Princess Luna chuckled dryly, "Oh, I certainly could, Spike, Drake of Canterlot. Tell me, what was the reason behind this celebration?"
Silence. None of us dared to answer her question. The three of us knew the dark truth behind Nightmare Night. It all began after Princess Luna's banishment. Where it first originated or whom the first to initiate such an idea was debatable. However, one thing is evident. Nightmare Night first began as an offering to Nightmare Moon to please her, at first offering living foals before it devolving into crops, and overtime, the original intention was lost and now replaced to the tradition most ponies knew today.
"Princess Luna, just please, give them a chance," Twilight pleaded.
Princess Luna opened her mouth, but then a pinto colored colt dressed as a pirate galloped over to her, calling out her name. "Princess Luna, Princess Luna."
He stopped in front of us, his eyes on the verge of tears. "A-are you really going to cancel Nightmare Night forever?"
The sight alone was enough for Princess Luna to reconsider. She sighed as she looked at us, "Mayhaps, I have been a little too...quick on my judgment."
"So, Nightmare Night is not canceled?" He asked, hopefully.
Princess Luna lowered her head up level to the colt, "Tell me, little colt, why are you not afraid of me?"
"Well," the colt fidgets under Princess Luna's gaze. "You can be scary, but I don't mind being scared."
"You, like being scared?" Princess Luna asked.
The colt nodded enthusiastically, "Uh-huh, it's actually fun when nopony meant you any danger!"
"Fun being scared, hm?" Princess Luna muttered, then she looked over to us. "Well, I think I should give them a chance."
Twilight and I looked at each other and smiled knowingly. The two of us looked at her and in a synchronized fashion, says, "We'll support you all the way, Princess!"
"Is this mean what I think it meant?" The colt earlier asked with an eager look, his eyes practically beaming with joy.
"Indeed," Luna smiled, earning her a hug from the colt.
"Thank you! You're officially my favorite Princess, ever!" He released the hug and ran to the town center as fast as his little hooves can carry him.
"Hey guys, Nightmare Night isn't canceled, Princess Luna is back!"
A chorus of cheer is enough for us to trail after the colt. And as soon as we arrived, the Princess was bombarded with hundreds of apology from the townfolks. Princess Luna instead told the ponies to enjoy Nightmare Night and have fun.
Before we even know it, the Princess had her fun in games Ponyville had to offer. And fortunately enough, I can stay in character since nopony could hear through her declaration earlier. Horray for me!
A flash of light with a majestic laugh is enough for me to understand who came barging in out of nowhere. I turned and there it was, Discord in the flesh, and surprisingly with a costume. Discord wore a clown costume with green hair, complete with makeup plus a creepy red paint that resembles a smile on his mouth.
"What a time of the year to go around to scare ponies or dressing up as ridiculously as possible!"
I narrowed my eyes dangerously at him as everypony looked at him with fear. I was about to say something, but Princess Luna beat me up to it.
"What are you doing here, Discord?" She said, her tone cautious but friendly nonetheless.
He slithered his way towards Luna with that damned creepy makeup, "Ah, Little Lulu, do you want to know how I got these scars?" He gestured over to the stitches that suddenly appear on his feature. Luna, however, remains stoic and impassive.
"While I appreciate that you've enjoyed yourself for once, but I do believe you still have work to do." She says, earning a grumble from Discord.
"Can you give me some slack, just a fair bit?" He asked, then glanced at me, noticing my glare. "Well, nevermind, I've certainly had fun on Fillydelphia anyway, ta ta."
With a flick of his claw, he disappeared. Everypony all sighed in unison as if they held their breath the moment he arrived. I couldn't blame them. Unlike Luna, however, Discord is still a wild card that could blow up randomly at any time.
And his costume, have I seen that before?
"The Princess is not here at the moment. You could wait in her chambers."
"Thank you," Lucerina thanked the guards and entered Princess Celestia's private chamber.
The moment she set her hooves inside, she could understand why anypony entering her room would exit feeling relaxed and calm. Two couches and a coffee table sat in front of the warm fireplace, and bookshelves decorates most of the walls. A desk sat at one corner, piled with scrolls and books on top. A century-old painting hanged just above the fireplace, surrounded by the bookshelves. It depicted a rising sun with a unicorn pony at the top left, painted as if the pony raises the sun from a distance.
Lucerina looked around for a moment, before finally trotting to the couch and sat down, still admiring the room. Then her eyes spotted something, a parchment bearing the royal seal stick out amongst hundreds of books on one of the bookshelves.
Curiosity urged her to levitate the parchment for further examination. There, on top, written in bold letters, reads Royal Adoption Letter.
Lucerina raised an eyebrow. It seemed strange to her that the Princess would adopt a foal, but the date on the parchment showed that it was about fifteen years ago. The moment she opened it, her eyes immediately picked on a name in the first paragraph.
Sunset Shimmer.
"Princess Celestia, the Intelligence Director is waiting for you," Came a muffled voice behind the door. Lucerina quickly folds the parchment and place it back where it was before, just in time as the door opens, revealing Princess Celestia herself.
"I apologize for my tardiness, Lucerina, I hope you did not wait long."
"It was fine, Princess, I don't mind even mind waiting an hour if I must," Lucerina said with a small smile.
Princess Celestia laughed lightly, "I see that you made yourself comfortable. Ah, would you mind for some tea?"
"That would be lovely, Princess, thank you."
The Solar Princess then levitates a tray along with the necessary items she required and poured tea for herself and her associate, sweet aroma filling the room.
"Do you have my report?" Princess Celestia started, sipping her tea as she made herself comfortable.
Lucerina nodded. "Indeed I have, Princess," she floats a scroll to the Princess from her saddlebag.
She took the scroll and unrolled it, reading the scroll's content, nodding to herself as she read further.
"Princess, do you mind a question?" Lucerina asked.
Celestia looked up from the scroll and smiled, "Well, what do you wish to ask?"
"Have you ever had another gifted student before these two?"
Lucerina noticed the Princess went stiff momentarily before shifting back to her earlier postures.
"I do, actually," the Princess says with a restrained sadness on her tone. Lucerina decides to push further.
"What do they look like?"
A pleasant smile crept onto the Princess' feature as her mind wandered to the past. "Well, she was ambitious, energetic, and very enthusiastic about whatever I tasked her to do," her smile faltered. "Unfortunately, her ambitions get the best of her, and she left for her dreams."
Lucerina was silent, letting the Princess to continue on her own, occasionally sipping her tea.
"She was an orphan, and I'll be lying if I occasionally did not think like she was like my own. If circumstances were not to be that way, then perhaps her ambitions would be guided elsewhere, and we will not have this conversation, Lucerina.
Sometimes, I'd like to think about what would happen if she were to have a loving family, siblings she would care for," she smiled as she looks down on the parchment. "The reflections are certainly present in this situation."
Lucerina's eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. But, the Princess couldn't likely meant that, it-
A brief look at the Princess's expression released all doubts plaguing her mind as certainty filled the gap. Yes, that situation is certainly plausible.
The next day, a cry of anguish and despair rang out in Ponyville from a certain cyan pegasus, trying their best to get away from a particular unicorn about the worst mane style she'd ever seen.